Meet Expert Escrow Officer Jamie Zinggeler

Many people I work with are unclear on what the escrow process looks like. Today I’m joined by expert escrow officer Jamie Zinggeler to explain this critical portion of the transaction.

I often work with clients who have undergone a previous real estate transaction with another team or agent and felt as if the entire process consisted of nothing but paperwork.

Unless someone is working with an experienced team or agent, they may not fully understand what goes on behind the scenes of any real estate transaction. In actuality, there is a lot more to the process than simply completing paperwork.

To help me explain what really goes on, I’ve brought in an extraordinary escrow officer: Jamie Zinggeler. Jamie has been in this business for 28 years. She started as a receptionist but has now closed over 20,000 escrows.

Personally, I was introduced to Jamie back in 2005 by one of my mentors. Surrounding myself with experienced people was important to me as a new agent and is a critical step that any new agent should take in bettering themselves as a professional. Since Jamie and I connected years ago, our professional relationship has been a great resource to us both.

Escrow is like the glue that holds the transaction together.

However, I understand that many of our clients don’t necessarily understand certain aspects of the real estate transaction.

Escrow begins once an offer is accepted. Acting as a neutral third party, Jamie holds onto funds and documents until conditions are met. Once they are, the seller is given their money and the buyer is given their title documents.

Jamie noted to me that while it is good for clients to understand what happens during escrow, it isn’t critical for them to concern themselves with the finer details.

Escrow is like the glue that holds the transaction together. Escrow officers deal with buyers, sellers, loan officers, transaction coordinators, and a number of other people within the transaction. This is all done to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible.

As an agent, I want my clients to feel comfortable and confident. This is why I believe Jamie’s role is so important to the process—everything she does alleviates a great deal of stress that would otherwise be placed on the shoulders of a buyer or seller.

Buyers, sellers, and agents should all feel confident that the escrow process is being handled thoroughly and efficiently. But even with all of the experience that she has, Jamie and her team are still always learning. Between attending conferences, taking classes, and having discussions with other escrow professionals, they always stay committed to furthering their knowledge in this ever-changing profession.

Because of her experience and commitment to education, Jamie is able to lay out an escrow process that is very consistent. However, these same factors also allow her to troubleshoot when issues do happen to arise.

Jamie recalls once working with a couple who went on a bucket list trip to Australia. Because it was a probate, Jamie and her team weren’t able to have the grant deed signed before they left. Nevertheless, they still needed to close the transaction. The couple wasn’t able to go to the American Consulate, which is what would typically be done in this situation, so instead Jamie and her team found an attorney near the couple in Australia to do the notary.

After that, they had to find a service in Australia to take the documents from the attorney to the apostille service in order to get a certificate. Eventually, the transaction was able to close in a timely manner.

This is just one of the instances where Jamie and her team have gone above and beyond for their clients.

If you would like to be introduced to Jamie, have any other questions, or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.